The Dream of a Legend
by CodenameD-XIII
Summary: Blake Akamatsu, an exceptional hacker and incomparable gamer, is trapped inside the world of Sword Art Online. Just how far will the legend go?
1. The dream begins

**_As dawn broke, I drew my blade and marched down the plane. Few things could be heard aside from my footsteps and the morning birds. "It is time." I told myself as I stood before a giant to a somber mansion._**

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes when I heard the alarm clock. _Tsch, the same dream… That makes three nights in a row. _I thought to myself as I yawned and stretched out. I got out of my bed and got ready for school.

Routine: Engage. Get up at 6:00 am, put on some slippers and head to the bathroom. Use the toilet, and brush my teeth. Take a bath around 6:05, finish at 6:15. I get dressed and comb my hair, ready at around 6:25. Go back to my room, get my things ready and tidy up a bit but never completely. Eat breakfast at 6:30, brush my teeth again and leave for school on my bike at 6:45. It's a ten minute ride, arriving 5 minutes before school starts. 7 hours of class, including breaks. At 2:00 pm, class is dismissed, and before mingling a bit (a few 15 minutes) I take my bike ride home, taking 15 minutes as I stop to buy a drink or snack. I arrive at 2:30. I take off my uniform, change into comfortable clothes and start making my lunch. I eat at 3 pm. I start my chores and finish around 4 pm, and I do my homework, finishing between 5 or 6 pm, depending on the quantity. 11 to 12 hours of monotony or so, day after day.

* * *

Routine: Disengage. I disconnect myself from reality, taking my spot on the net, an adventurer, a conqueror, a legend. I checked my email. It was the government. Being an expert hacker, master planner and skilled role-player, I had become a valuable cyber-mercenary, under the alias **Moses**. But this was only part of my cyber life. I quickly responded the email and started investigating. As I started infiltrating a third world country's database that was over ruled by dictators and planting a custom made worm to extract important info, I started to unwind, becoming the master gamer, **Blake Akamatsu**. Being talented in all types of genres, I was mostly inclined to MMORPGs. As I logged into one of my many gaming accounts, I resumed yesterday's work, challenging 5 different countries at once. It was quite easy to have the country automatically hold its own while he was offline through many plans and repeated actions, but taking them on and conquering was completely different. I smiled as I took the challenge "Bring it on". After a few hours, I ruled the entire continent. "Well, that wasn't as challenging as I expected." I logged off a bit disappointed, and then I heard a door bell ring. _Who would care to visit me without calling first? _I said to myself as I walked to the door. A mailman handed me a package and left. It was finally here. I ran to my room and opened the package, containing a Nerve Gear and the newest sensation for MMORPG players worldwide. Sword Art Online. I quickly dissed all instructions and manuals, connecting the device and booting it up as if I had done it millions of times. I put on the helmet as it read the game. "Link Start!"


	2. New Life, New Purpose

_**I was once again in front of the gates of the dark mansion. As I tapped my blade against the gate, it swung open. I carried forth, walking the path towards the front door, when I say a girl looking from the 3**__**rd**__** floor window.**_

* * *

The sun streaks its dazzling light from the sky as I gaze at the clouds, pondering on my dream. Aincrad's sun was quite beautiful to watch, and it never felt hot enough to be bothersome. I was lying down, though the most terrible thing had happened. Upon entering Aincrad, I had mastered the mechanics in mere seconds, and easily beat any monster that I had encountered so far. The feel of the sword, the way it was so free flow, how everything felt too. It was so astonishingly real.

* * *

I felt... a sense of belonging in this world, so I had not noticed the lack of a log-off option, until I was summoned to the main plaza of the Town of Beginnings. There a giant hooded figure loomed over the players. He spoke, claiming to be Kayaba Akihiko, the creator of the Nerve Gear and SAO itself. He then said to have deposited a 'gift' in everyone's inventory. I checked my inventory, and found that the item was a mirror. As I looked into it, I felt a bright blue light surrounded me. When it stopped, I realized that my avatar changed, revealing to reflect my exact appearance in real life. _Good think I'm quite handsome_ I jested to myself, ignoring that I wasn't the only one to undergo the change. I turned my attention back to the figure.

"Now, you must have all noticed that there is no log-off option. Do not worry; it is not a flaw, but a feature of Sword Art Online. There are currently 100 floors in SAO. You must beat all 100 to exit the game." Some gasped at the comment. "Disconnecting is also not a good idea. If anyone is disconnected by a third person on the outside, the Nerve Gear will immediately fry their brain. I tried to warn them of this but they wouldn't listen" Kayaba said as he demonstrated a screen showing news channels that informed of what he just explained. Everyone started to panic as there was disconcerted mutterings and frightful conversations all around. I was genuinely surprised, but didn't care much since no one would be around the house for some time to disconnect me. "Also," Kayaba continued "SAO features a No-Respawn realistic feature. In other words, if you die, the Nerve Gear will disable your brain. So try to be careful. Good luck young adventurers, and WELCOME TO AINCRAD!" He yelled out as he started to disappear. Everyone around started panicking. I sighed at the poor fellows and made my way out.

I decided to make my way out of the town of beginnings and onto the next area. "Tsch, what a pain. What are they complaining for? Ok, so if you die in the game you die for reals, yea it's a bit scary. But that's why there's skills and leveling up. Geez" I kept on walking down the path until he saw a Dire Wolf in the distance. Slightly yawning, I drew my blade to exterminate the creature, when a guy around my age appeared. He ran towards the Dire Wolf, sword in hand, and with a swift sword skill, killed it. _He has talent, and the look in his eyes is unrelenting _I thought to myself as I walked up to him. "Oi, nice strike. What's your name?"

"It's on the HUD." He responded coldly. _Tsch, you're really going to make friends fast here, brat _I thought, a bit annoyed as I looked at the HUD.

"Kirito, is it? I'm Blake." Kirito scratched his head "Sounds familiar" he mumbled. "Anyways, what's up with your chill attitude dude? Can't you see it's live or die here?"

"Yea, so? That's why we have weapons." Kirito seemed annoyed by my answer. I dropped the casual attitude and looked at him coldly. "You're movements as well as your blade movements are very different from the usual. You're pretty good at this, but that won't cut it. You wanna survive? Then become strong. Don't yearn for something out of your reach. Look at the challenge ahead and take it on instead of stupidly worrying about simple and obvious problems." I turned around and started walking away "This is Sword Art Online. Get used to it." I said as I leave him to ponder.

* * *

_Might as well get some hunting done before I head to the next town. _I approached some monsters a few meters away.

If I lost all of my HP, it would be over. I ignored this fact as I faced three Level 5 monsters, two Dire Wolves and a Frenzy Boar, while Blake was still Level 2. I instinctively dashed towards them, smiling slightly. I quickly dodged the first wolf by pivoting to the left at the last second, slashing at it in the process. Still in movement, I used the momentum to jump over the boar and drive my sword in its head and slashing all the way to its back, rolling on the floor as I fell and stabbed the wolf in the chest immediately. All 3 beasts died, turning into floating fragments simultaneously. At this I leveled up and received a good amount of gold, along with some loot. "Now that felt good. But I sure hope this game has greater challenges in store for me, Kayaba." I said with a confident grin, making my way to Horunka village to stay the night. I raised my sword at the sky as I thought. _I will definitely beat this game._


	3. A Rare Enemy and A Special Encounter

_**What is the meaning? Life as we know it is just a series of repetitive events. Solomon once said that even after our toil and efforts, "Everything is vane. The sun rises, and it sets, and nothing changes under the sun. Vanity of vanities."**_

* * *

A week had passed since the Deathgame started. _Deathgame, they call it. Hmph. Death seems like a fair enough challenge._ I thought to myself as I scanned the canyon for more monsters. I had already reached level 6, whereas most players were currently level 3, at most._ They're too afraid to take the challenge, playing it to close to the chest. They still haven't figured out that the prize goes to the highest bidder._ But then again, I felt that level 6 wasn't that high a level. I had expected to be able to reach at least level 10 by now. "Guess I just have to try harder."

I approached a pack of Dire Wolves. There were around 5 of them, all level 7 from what I could see. It took me around 2 minutes to dispatch them, barely losing any HP. "Grinding is such a pain in the aaass…" I moped as I checked the loot, gaining around 1000 out of 10000 exp till level up. "I sure wish leveling up wasn't so dicey and long." I was about to sheathe my sword when I felt a tingling sensation. A few 100 meters away, on the south end of the canyon, there was an ominous figure. I activated Heightened Sense, a skill that, as the name suggests, heightened my 5 senses, allowing me to see the beast. My eyes widened in astonishment. "A chimera…" I muttered, looking at the magical beast.

It was an extremely rare creature, and it seemed to at least double his level, if not triple. The bull´s body was red, the eagle head was a clear white, and the snake was a light gold. Each pair of eyes had a reddish, killer glow, striking fear into anyone… well, anyone but me. That glow only seemed to make my blood flow faster, urging me to fight as my body hungered for battle. I could feel the beast´s glare, and its intense bloodlust swept like hurricane waves around me. I smiled as I started walking, then dashing towards it. The beast bellowed a deafening roar as I charged for it. Something started forming in its hand as I ran towards it. A ball of red energy glowed in its right hand. I instantly recognized it. _He´s casting _**Fire**_? _As I was a few 20 meters away, I flipped to the side, dodging the spell. _So, a magical beast with spells in a world without magic… This just got very interesting _I grinned broadly at the creature in front of me, taking on this challenge as a spark ignited inside me. I charged at the creature, when I noticed the snakehead that served as the Chimera´s tail looked directly at me. I instantly jumped back as it bit the air towards me, a small thunder bolt striking where I just stood. "That was pretty close, don'cha think?" I taunted as I stared deftly at the monster's eyes. I rushed once more, as the eagle head directed its attention at me. _Just as I thought. _I stood a few meters away as the eagle spurted a stream of watery acid at me. I instinctively reacted, sliding underneath the blast as I slashed at the creature´s leg. _Right slash, stab, duck under right-handed punch, jump to the side as it casts _**T****hunder**_, proceed to slash upwards at its abdomen to its neck, doing critical damage. Jump over as it lunges, proceeding to slice the snake head. _My eyes started glowing slightly as I landed behind the creature and hacked at the snake head again, decapitating it. As it turned into pixilated figures, I threw my blade at the eagle head as it started to open its mouth to attack again. It pierced through its mouth, and I smiled as it too de-rezzed. "Let's finish this, bud." I taunted at the now decimated chimera, which had been reduced to around 30% of its HP. The sword had fallen behind the chimera, and it met my gaze as I slightly turned my attention to it. It stood its ground, telling me that I wouldn't pass. I laughed at it, feeling even more alive than ever as I clenched both my fists. _So this is the joy of battle. What a wonderful feeling. _I immediately dashed towards it, charging up a sword skill, **Charging Drive**, on my fist. As my fist started glowing, it charged up **Fire** on its own fist, swinging it towards me. I immediately stopped cold, and the attack whizzed right in front of my face. I followed up with a bound forward, driving my skill-imbued fist into the beasts face, knocking it back. It immediately roared and charged forward at me. I dashed forward and somersaulted over it. I grabbed my sword and as it turned around with another **Fire**-charged fist directed at me, I quick-stepped forward, driving my blade deep into its chest. I smiled as the chimera gaped, and turned into floating pixels. I twirled my blade before sheathing it at the scabbard on my back. "That was freakin AWESOME!" I yelled as lifted my face in the air. Defeating the beast awarded a lot of experience, boosting me to level 12 immediately. It also dropped a lot of col, but the most interesting thing that it dropped was a tome, a book of basic magic arts. It seemed to be sealed though, and he couldn't open it. "Kayaba, you are one mysterious genius. But don't think you can stop me." I put the tome in my inventory and started my way back to Horunka village.

* * *

Walking down the road, I saw a figure in the distance. Someone wielding a sword and shield was being surrounded by a pack of Dire Wolfs. I rushed to the scene, noticing that the person was a pretty girl, with shoulder length black hair and a small mole under her right eye. She was completely captivating, even as she was about to get killed. Arriving on the scene, I knocked a wolf back when it lunged at her. The wolf rolled on the floor and howled out, enticing its pack members to attack. _The Dire Wolf is pretty smart, and they usually attack the player with least HP in a party. I can't leave her side. _"Just stay behind me and guard the sides." I told her, turning my head to look at her eyes.

She blushed as she smiled awe-stricken for a while"O-ok."

Blake turned his attention to the 3 wolves in front of him. The one to his right must be the pack leader, but he couldn't deal with it without leaving the girl, and that would leave her vulnerable. This was going to be a difficult situation. The bigger wolf of the 3 lunged, aiming at the girl behind me. I side stepped and slashed at him vertically, defeating it as it hit the ground and it pixilated. She yelped bit as the wolf had come close to biting her.

"Don't worry" I smiled reassuringly at her. "I'll protect you." She blushed a deep red at his comment. As we were both distracted for a moment, the remaining wolves along with the pack leader attacked. "C-crap" I muttered as I held them off and dodged. I had to take a few hits, not being able to dodge unless I´d let her get hurt. I kicked one of the wolves as it attacked, knocking it back and draining the last of its HP. "Only 2 left" I panted, as suddenly the alpha wolf attacked her from the side

"GYAA" she yelled, blocking with her shield in time, though she was knocked back. I rushed towards her, immediately positioning myself between her and the wolf. It lunged towards my neck, and I waited till the last second to duck and strike upwards, slicing it in half. The remaining wolf, realized that it was alone, growled as it ran away.

"You ok?" I asked as I stretched my hand to lift her up.

"Y-yea, thanks to you." She took my hand with a reddened face and shy eyes.

"What's your name?" I asked as she stared at me.

"S-Sachi" she answered, suddenly staggering and falling over.

"Woah" I exclaimed as I quickly caught her. She looked at me with tired eyes before she passed out. I was a bit worried for a few seconds till I realized she had just fainted. _Her HP level dropped pretty low _I noticed, seeing that it was around 30%. _Seems like I'm gonna have to take care of her for now. _I used a healing crystal on her, restoring her HP. Seeing that she wouldn´t wake up, I carried her to Horunka village.

* * *

As I entered the local inn in which I had been staying, the innkeeper greeted me. In the corner of the inn, Argo was waiting for me. A small, neko-ish girl, 2 years younger than me, she was a 14 year old information broker who I met in the beta test, one of the best.

"Hey, welcome Bla-" She froze at the sight of Sachi unconscious in my arms.

"She was attacked by a pack of Dire Wolfs outside the village" I said, forcing a poker face. Argo still looked at me mischievously.

"You think you can fool me. After all, a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do." She winked.

"S-shut up" I started making my way upstairs. "I need you to do me a big favor." He said as he entered his room and laid Sachi on the bed.

"Sorry, but I'm not interested in those type of things." Argo answered, smiling mischievously as she looked at me and then at Sachi laying on the bed.

"B-BAKA! It's about an item." I handed the tome over to her. She changed attitudes.

"This looks like a tome from a magic RPG…" Argo stared at it curiously.

"I need you to figure out what type of tome it specifically is, why it's here and how to open it. I want to avoid hacking the system."

"I'll see what I can do." She started to make her way out of the room, and stopped to turn around at the doorstep. "Don´t do anything perverted" she stuck her tongue out as she left, angering me a bit.

As I fixed up a makeshift bed on the floor with covers, Sachi moved around as a tear ran down her cheek "

I don´t want to die" she muttered in her sleep. I walked over to her and gripped her hand, worrying at what she said.

_She's still so innocent. I hadn't realized it, but the idea of dying here must be scary considering that most aren't even skilled gamers. She must be terrified. _I thought as I saw a brief moment of peace and happiness on her face before she woke up. As our faces were inches apart, we stared into each other's eyes for a brief second before she shyly jumped up from the bed with a reddened face. "

W-w-where am I?" She stuttered.

"At a local inn, located in Horunka village."

"Horunka village…" she said, then realizing that we were all alone in the room, grabbing a pillow to cover her embarrassed face.

"My name is Blake." I introduced myself "You passed out with an alarming low HP after the wolves had attacked."

"I almost died…" She muttered below her breath. "G-gomen. I don't want to be a burden, so I'll be taking my leave." Sachi quickly got up, only to stagger and fall back on the bed again.

"Woah, careful. When was the last time you slept?" I asked

"Since the game started." She answered a bit embarrassed.

"I think its best if you stay here and rest." _Her mind must be real weary._

"O-ok."

I grabbed a pillow and threw it on my 'bed'. At this, Sachi blushed a bit.

"B-blake?" she asked timidly as she looked away.

"Yea?"

"I've been having nightmares since the game started...so I can´t sleep alone" She looked timidly at me with such a cute face that my heart skipped a beat. "C-can you sleep here with me?" I was extremely surprised at the question, as I looked away.

"I-if that helps you fall asleep."

* * *

I looked at the ceiling as I lay next to a sleeping Sachi. She was slightly smiling, and looked like she had found peace after ages of torture. I was immediately worried. _Recently, there has been news of players who have cracked under the mental pressure and ended up killing themselves. _As the mental image of Sachi committing suicide chilled my bones, she stirred up beside me and, half-asleep, hugged my arm "Thank you, Blake" She muttered still unconscious. Her words caught me off guard. _I definitely won't let anything happen to her._


	4. A New Skill?

_**There he was, ready to strike. He looked at me with anger and contempt. As I remembered my newly gained skill, I smiled. As he pounced, ready to take me down, I directed my left palm at him. "Fira."**_

* * *

"KYAAA!"

As I smiled at Sachi's innocent and pretty face while she slept, she opened her eyes, blushing at having me so close and instantly reacted by knocking me off the bed.

"Sorry Blake-kun!" she apologized as I got to my feet.

"Yea, it's my fault for startling you like that. And you don't have to call me `Blake-kun'"

"Ok, Blake-sama."

"I said formalities aren't necessary!" I had been partying with Sachi for 2 weeks now. Since childhood, she was very afraid of being alone, and her nightmares would torment her unless someone slept with her. Being trapped in this game, where death is as real as IRL, this syndrome started to affect her again, so we saw it necessary to stay together day and night. _I did promise to protect her after all. _"So, want to grab some breakfast before we set on out to train?"

She lightened up like a candle at the suggestion. "That sounds lovely."

* * *

We had already grown a habit of breakfasting on coffee and sweetbread every day. It was such a delight and surprise, that a café like this existed in the 'Deathgame'. Being run by NPCs, it was actually pretty affordable too, and it was around the block from Stockpot Inn. We were renting the top floor room (just because Sachi loved the view it had of Horunka village) splitting the price, though this made it harder to convince that we weren't a couple.

"So what's today's itinerary?" Sachi asked cheerily, seeming a bit more joyful than usual. Although I usually kept to myself and didn't really care much about others more than necessary, Sachi was the exception to that. Feeling the need to help and take responsibility of her was something completely new to me, yet something that I couldn't stop doing. I was glad that Sachi was getting over her fear of this game. She had suggested in our first days of partying together that what Kayaba said was a lie, and that we should both suicide to wake up from the game, and that even if we did die, it would be the best escape. So I always kept her company, telling her how I was going to ascend all levels and beat this game and Kayaba himself. It made me happy how she finally lightened up and resolved on staying by my side till we beat this game, even though she still harbored a fear for dying. I also started training her, showing her the basics of the game as well as how to grow individually, Skill based and self-skill based. I was already level 16, and Sachi had reached level 8. That was a bit higher than most average players would reach in 3 weeks' time. The problem was that around two thousand players had already died, and the first level boss, Illfang the Kobold Lord, still hasn't been beaten. The front line players, who are those resolved on beating the game, were apparently having a meeting on the outskirts of Horunka village next week. They were decided on taking the first victory against the game by defeating Illfang.

_The frontlines, huh? Sounds like the best of the best. _I casually thought to myself as my mind roamed to history books and literature, depicting chivalrous warriors and knights of the old, where the ones at the front of a battle were considered the bravest and strongest. I smirked at this as I drank a sip of coffee.

"Well, aside from the usual, I have to meet up with Argo today."

She smiled as she grabbed a muffin. "Now, Blake-kun, say 'ahhhh'."

"O-oi!"

"Now, now, don't be shy and open up."

"B-but Sachi, people are watching!"

* * *

We headed out to the forest outside of Horunka village. This proved a nice place to grind, since the monsters aren't too low a level, but it was a nice place for Sachi to train since they aren't overwhelming either. Sachi had already accommodated to the Sword and Shield class, and I would use a one-handed sword, though my strength stats allowed me to use even heavier ones with ease.

"Sachi, take out the Dire Wolf on the right, Ill handle these two."

"Ok!" Sachi answered as she charged at the wolf, using **Shield Bash** to knock it back. As the wolf lunged, she blocked perfectly with her shield, receiving minimal damage and leaving the wolf open for a counter attack. She finished it off with a slash at the neck, having it burst into pixels.

_She's definitely improved. _I thought to myself as both wolves rushed in my direction. I took a stance, holding my sword behind ready for a thrust as my sword emitted a red glow. When both were within range, they jumped towards me at the same time, aligning horizontally. I executed **Horizontal Execution**, spinning clockwise, slicing through both in half.

"Well done, Blake-kun!" Sachi cheered, as if I was in some type of soccer game or something alike.

"Likewise, Sachi. You've really grown since we first met." She smiled blushingly at my comment. With today's grinding, Sachi was able to level up to Lvl 9. "Congrats on leveling up, Sachi." I told her, patting her head in appraisement.

"Hehe, I'm still nowhere near your level." She answered, smiling up at me.

"Awww, what a cute little couple." Argo said, smiling mischievously at us. "Don't mind me, little love doves. Carry on."

"D-don't be stupid! It's not like that!" I answered rashly.

"D-don't say such things, Argo-chan…" Sachi said, looking away while blushing.

"Anything new?" I asked, extending my hand to Argo.

"From what I can tell, it's a tome that contains basic magic spells, though the content it seems to be blocked by moderator coding, making it virtually useless. You're gonna have to hack it." She answered, handing over the Magic Tome I collected from the Chimera. "But there is a price. I'm sure that even though it's a high level code, that shouldn't be a problem for you, oh great **Moses**." She jested. "The problem is that once you break the code, Cardinal will interfere, sending a great number of enemies to the area to punish the violation to the game. Still, to find a tome in a game as this is confusing in itself." She said, thinking hard about it.

"Let's just call it Providence" I answered, opening the items stats and rearranging its binary codes to see what was keeping it locked so that I could unlock it. It was pretty easy for me to hack even inside the game. I have been able to keep in tabs with the local news, listen to music and even gather bits of unknown information. However, I could only perform low level hacks for a limited amount of time without being noticed by the Cardinal System, the game's AI that kept the whole thing running according to the established parameters. It kept the NPCs and monsters preset actions in order, as well as regulating any flaw in the game. Hacking was considered one of these flaws by the Cardinal. "With a coded encryption of this level, there definitely is no way that the Cardinal will not notice. "Well, You Only Live Once, right?" as I finalized hacking the item. It floated in the air for a second, and as it opened up, the pages started flipping by themselves before it closed and fell to the ground. As I grabbed it and opened it, its basic information on use was available. "So it's an equippable, but it has no durability, and takes no slots. The only drawback that it has," I read on "is that casting a spell drains a portion of HP" as I finished, an alarm sounded.

"System alert. Hacking identified. Target has broken Moderator Coding. Proceeding to punish." We heard Cardinal voice in a monotone as an invisible barrier erected in a 100 meter radius around us. Multiple monsters then proceed to spawn, high level monsters that didn't even belong on this level. There were Lizardmen Lords, Blood Wolves, Demonic Servants, among others.

_Crap, this is bad. These are all level 30 at the least. _I immediatly assesed from my beta test experience.

"This is not good, Blake." Argo strained as they started closing in on us.

Sachi looked around with despair as she finally looked straight into my eyes "Please, Blake, save me…" they voiced.

I froze for a second, feeling the weight of my comrades' death on my shoulders, before I went into cognitive mode. I assessed all possible situations, thinking and planning at a superhuman speed. _We can't fight them, the system won't call them off, the barrier is to keep us in, so neither running nor warp crystals will work. A high level hack could take care of it, but it'll take too long. The only way out is-_ I rapidly flipped through the pages of the tome till I found what I was looking for. "_Ianuae Magicae instanti: Horunka villa! (Instant Teleport: Horunka village)" _We were surrounded by a blue light and suddenly appeared at the main gate of Horunka village. "Just as I thought." I smirked

"...But how?" Argo asked, baffled.

I proceeded to explain. "What just took place was an incantation. In other words, a teleportation spell. Now, I figured that the barrier would keep us in not only from running, but from teleporting away using teleportation crystals. So it would nullify the teleportation. Now, the teleportation spell is very similar to the crystal. But there is one big difference. The crystal activates the teleportation in exchange for the crystal itself, using it as the medium to perform the teleportation. In this case, the spell used something else. My HP" I pointed above me, as Argo and Sachi noted it was in the red area, below 30%. "So then, the barrier would block the **medium**, which was the crystal, from working. But even though the teleportation was the same, I used another** medium** to complete the spell, so the **law** which the barrier carries to block teletransportation only includes those with the **medium **used being the crystals. So, technically, I cheated the system fair and square." I finished explaining, as both Argo and Sachi looked at me with baffled looks.

"Oh, Blake-kun, you're so SMART!" Sachi cried out as she jumped at me, tackling me to the ground while hugging me.

"Hey, hey, get off me! You're gonna end up depleting the last of my HP."

Argo stood there, thinking "…But wait, how did an item that's against the game's design and that can go against even the Cardinal end up here?"

I pondered for a moment. "I have a few theories, but nothing concrete that I can share. All that's left is to keep on studying the tome and continue with the original plan. Beating the game. And for that, were gonna have to train harder before facing Illfang, Sachi."

"Oh, with you Blake-kun, everything will be fine." She chanted as she tackled me playfully again.

"Hey, stop it!"


	5. The Frontline Meeting

"_**It's time. Though the Deathgame is far from over, today we will take our first victory over it. Today, we will beat Illfang. Today, we start our ascension to the 100**__**th**__** level!"**_

* * *

A week had passed since I opened the tome. I took most of my free time studying it. Amazed at how it worked, I couldn't stop wondering about this item that worked as a skill. _It's amazing how it adapts to the system. To unleash a sword skill, all you have to do is perform the initial stance for it and direct it at the target. But for these spells, it's different, though it's the same principle. To perform the spell, all I have to do is say the Incantation and the system takes over, just like with a sword skill. The only drawback, it seems, is that each spell drains a set amount of HP._

"It seems like you've gotten addicted to that tome, Blake-kun." Sachi stood there smiling at me from behind the book.

"Well, it is pretty special."

"A special item for a special person. It's no wonder you're the one who found such a thing." She said as she sat down beside me, as sunlight streamed above us through the open window of our room. "It was nice to have a day off." She yawned at the comment as she sleepily plopped her head on my shoulder.

"Well, you have been working pretty hard." She had already reached level 11, though I had to stand back most of the time for her to gain experience so I was still level 16, just a few EXP from leveling up. I did try a few spells out, and it seemed like they weren't recognized as an anomaly to the System. "Hey, isn't the front line meeting tomorrow to discuss beating the first floor boss?" I asked, as I had stayed indoors all day.

"Yea, it is." She shifted her head and looked up at me. "Do you think we're ready?" I looked into her eyes, seeing a bit of fear and insecurity.

"I'm sure we are. Besides, there are gonna be other players who are working hard to clear the game too." Sachi smiled at my remark and lay her head against my shoulder again. After a moment of silence, I thought she had fallen asleep.

"Blake-kun?"

"Yea?"

She paused for a second. "Will you please stay with me, till you beat this game?" I was surprised by her sudden request

"…Yea. I promise that until the end, I'll always be there to protect you." She giggled softly before drifting off into sleep.

* * *

"Now then, fellow players, you all know what we are here for." Diavel said, as everyone seemed to be present. We all nodded in silence. "In just this month, a thousand players have died. As part of the Frontline, it is our duty to advance and clear the game for the remaining players who cannot do so. So, what we will do is-"

"HOLD ON A SEC!" a player yelled, jumping down the stairs to take a place next to Diabel. "My name´s Kibaou, and I´ve got something to say." The orange-spiked hair player turned his attention towards all of us present. "I know there are beta-testers here." I suddenly tensed, feeling the hatred emitted from that last sentence. "You're all nothing but scum!" I noticed some freeze at this, fellow beta-testers. "While we were struggling to get through, you just ditched all of us newbies while you hogged all the easy quests and good level up spots. It's you beta-testers fault those thousand players died! You better pay for this. So just hand over all your money and items!" I sighed as I got up. "

My name is Blake Akamatsu," Sachi looked at me a bit worried as I spoke, knowing what I would say, but I just nodded at her. "And I'm a beta tester." A lot of players gasped at this. I saw some of them freeze and look away. _Fellow beta-testers._ Kibaou grunted, but I interrupted him before he could speak "Let me get this straight. Its partly my fault that all those players died because I'm a beta-tester?" I interrogated, making my way down the steps towards him.

"Y-yea! Until now, you beta-testers remained in hiding, taking advantage of knowing the game to level up easier while we had to do it the hard way! You just left us newbies to die."

"First of all, I didnt just ditch you who are new to the game." I pointed a finger at Sachi. "Its not to brag or anything, but a week after this game started, I saved Sachi from a mob of Dire Wolves, and have been teaching and helping her level up since then." She blushed slightly at the comment and nodded. I jumped off the last step and lay face to face with Kibaou. "Second of all, just cause I'm a beta-tester doesn't mean I have the obligation to carry with the lives of everyone that can't fight or survive by their own. Everybody," I gestured to the rest of the players, "beta-tester and non beta-tester, was given the same items and stats at the beginning of the game. All of us were given the same chance." I faced to look Kibaou with a menacing glare. "No one complains when they see a mugging and look the other way IRL. Death is as real out there as in here. The only difference is that we are all given the chance to hold our own here." I unsheathed my blade "With this blade, I have the chance to survive. Whether I make it or not relies on me." Turning to the crowd, I nodded at Agil. He threw me a small book. "You know what this is?" I held the book in front of Kibaou.

"Y-yea, its the Guide Book to the game." He said in a matter-of-fact ish way.

"This guide book was handed out freely to all players," I paused for a second "and it was made from information that beta-testers gave out. So stop pointing fingers, cause thats not gonna bring back those who died, nor is it gonna help you beat the game." I spun on my heel, making my way back to my spot next to Sachi. All of a sudden, I received a duel challenge from Kibaou. "So, you wanna go?" I asked in a menacing tone, as I accepted the challenge and set it to One-hit Mode. I browsed through my equipment, changing my normal sword for a two-handed sword while the timer ticked away.

"H-hey, how can he hold that two-handed sword with just one hand?!" One of the players from the crowd exclaimed.

"Its a passive skill, **Monkey Grip.**" I answered coldly.

There he was, ready to strike. He looked at me with anger and contempt. As I remembered my newly gained skill, I smiled. As he pounced, ready to take me down, I directed my left palm at him. "**Fira**." His eyes went wide with shock as he was struck by a fire ball, causing a small explosion and knocking him back several meters. Everyone stared in silence as they processed what just happened. Kibaou slowly got on his feet, with his HP in the red area. "Be thankful I held back." I smirked as I made my way to my spot next to Sachi.

"Waaah, Blake-kun, that was soo cool" she cheered with an admiring smile. I returned her smile, ignoring some of the jealous stares.

"Well, I guess its settled." Diavel broke the silence. "Beta-tester or not, we're all here because we want to defeat the First floor boss, Illfang the Kobold Lord. Now then, everybody form parties to establish group duties."

"You think we should party up with other players?" I asked Sachi as she looked around. "Although some will probably be reluctant about it..."

"It seems like everyone already formed parties... How about those two, Blake-kun?" she pointed out two lonely players, a hooded girl who hid her face and a boy with black spiky hair.

"I think I know him." We made our way towards the players. "Hey, Kirito, was it? Long time no see." I greeted.

"...Hi, Blake. Interesting skill..." he didnt seem to have dropped the cold attitude.

"Would you two mind if we formed a party with you?" Sachi asked with her unbeatable smile. I sent the party invite to both of them, and both hesitated. They seemed to have realized that it would be too dangerous for just the both of them as they pressed the confimation button.

"Ok then." Sachi and I both said in unison, smiling at them. We probably looked a bit odd considering we were enthusiastic about facing the first boss. I noticed that the hooded girl was named Asuna. _Asuna... Where have I heard that before? _

"Alright, everybody, we meet at the dungeon at this hour tomorrow. Metting adjourned." Diavel finished.

"Well, see you two tomorrow."

As we left, Sachi jumped on my back. "Blaaake-kun, I'm tired. Could you carry me home?" I felt the menacing stares from everybody as if they were dozens of knives stabbing at me.

* * *

"Hey, Blake-kun, can I ask you something?" Sachi said as I started to fall asleep.

"Sure thing." I answered, yawning while I looked into her curious eyes.

"Why did Argo call you _'the great Moses' _before?" She seemed to be at a complete loss because of this.

"Heh, its because aside from being a hardcore gamer, I'm also a high level hacker, recognized by governments and the underworld all the same. **Moses **is my hacker alias, first of all because I can't risk my real identity. Second, I picked the name because the CIA regard Moses and his infiltration to Canaan the first act of espionage."

"Woooow." Sachi's eyes widened in amazement. "You're amazing, Blake-kun."

"Naah, not really. Outside of cybernetics, I really have a dull and pointless life."

She thought for a minute and giggled a bit as she came up with an idea. "Then, when we beat the game, how about you take me on a date IRL?"

"Hmmm...W-w-what?!"


	6. Illfang, The Kobold Lord

_**Am I not strong enough? How? Why did this happen? "P-p-please, d-don't…"I was able to stammer.**_

"_**Shhhh." She pressed a finger to my lips. "It's ok, Blake-kun. It's not your fault."**_

* * *

"Blaaake-kun! Be sure to protect me today!" Sachi exclaimed enthusiastically as we approached the first level dungeon. I felt an atmosphere of hate and jealousy as the other players heard her comment.

"Tsch, y-yea, don't shout it out loud like that Sachi." I said, a bit annoyed. Kirito and Asuna were right behind us. Our group was in charge of handling the Ruin Kobold Sentinels that spawn near the boss. We decided that we were strong enough to divide into pairs and handle a Sentinel each, provided that we remained close to each other. I would pair up with Sachi, being Lvl 16 and Sachi being Lvl 11. Kirito, Lvl 14, would pair up with Asuna, Lvl 12. Although Sachi and I had a good chemistry and we were used to partnering up, I had never seen Asuna fight, nor had Kirito. She barely talked, even when necessary. She would keep to herself, always wearing the cloak, and never displayed emotions, emanating loneliness and what seemed like a hint of despair.

"Alright, everybody, we're here." Diavel said as we all reached the door to the Boss's lair. The raid group was formed by around 30 players. With this, Diavel formed 6 groups. 3 groups were to attack Illfang, including the group he was in, and the other three would work as support engaging the Sentinels. He would direct the parties during the fight, leaving the individual direction to the party members. "Remember the plan everybody. Groups D, E, and F will handle the Sentinels, distracting their attention from us." All mentioned nodded. Kirito, Asuna, Sachi and I were Group D. "Groups A, B, and C, we'll engage Illfang one group at a time, rotating whenever I see it necessary. When Illfang's HP drops to the last bar, it'll switch to a **Talwar**. At this, Groups D, E and F will join Groups A, B and C to finish Illfang off." I'm still a bit startled by Diavel's decision of making us support as we were a really strong group, being it a wiser decision for us to take on Illfang. Even though I'm fine with it, I still can't help thinking I saw something weird in his eyes earlier today.

* * *

"Blake, thanks for your support on this operation. I want you to know that even though you're a beta-tester, I feel no hate towards you and feel relieved that I can count on your strength during this raid."

"Hey, no problem. You'd probably be fine without me."

"Anyways, I'd like to ask of you to handle the Kobold Sentinels." I was a bit surprised at this "Groups A, B and C will handle Illfang, all being Lvl 10-12, including myself. However, the support groups are below these levels. I know that you're group is the strongest. That's why I want your group to make sure that the support team suffers the least casualties possible." I noticed a flash of mischief in his eyes as he said this, though it quickly disappeared.

_If you want the least casualties possible, it would be better to finish Illfang as fast as possible._ I thought this the wisest decision, but nonetheless, I agreed to his request.

* * *

I came to, as Diavel finished his speech. "It's time. Though the Deathgame is far from over, today we will take our first victory over it. Today, we will beat Illfang. Today, we start our ascension to the 100th level!" He finished dramatically as everyone burst into cheers.

Sachi hugged my arm, a worried look on her face. "Blake-kun, I have a bad feeling…"

"Hey, don't worry; I'm here to protect you." I assured her, patting her head. Still, I couldn't shake off that same feeling. Something was up. I looked over at Kirito. He nodded at my questioning face, knowing that something was wrong.

"Everybody, get ready." Diavel told us drawing his sword and shield. Everybody drew their own weapons as he opened the main doors.

I looked at Sachi with a serious face. "Stick by my side, ok?"

She nodded in response, no longer looking worried but concentrated. _I'm glad she's gotten over her fears. _We all entered the room cautiously, our footsteps echoing through the vast room. _This looks very boss fight-ish._ I thought to myself as I tended to forget this was a game. At the end of the room lied Illfang, with shining red eyes. At the sight of us, he drew his bone axe and shield, letting out a scream.

"Everybody, battle stations!" Diavel commanded, giving off the atmosphere of a Paladin leading his knights to battle. "Groups D and F, engage the sentinels. Group A and B, engage Illfang. Groups E and C, wait for your respectiverotation."

_He's quite the strategist. _"Sachi, on me." I said as I charged for one of the three Kobold Sentinels that had spawned.

"Ok" She rushed behind me.

I struck at the sentinel, following up with an upward strike to parry its attack, leaving it wide open. "Switch!" I called as I backed away as Sachi followed up with a sword skill that finished him off. "Nice!"

She smiled with contentment, before knocking back the next sentinel's advance with her shield. She used shield bash as it prepared to attack, making it stagger. "Switch!" she yelled as I rushed forward, using **Quick Stab**to thrust at the sentinel, finishing it off.

"Good job, Sachi." I complimented her, shaking the ominous feeling off.

"You too, Blake-kun."

I turned my attention over to the main groups. _They're handling Illfang pretty well, and Diavel is directing them incredibly. He's practically overwhelming Illfang when he hasn't even engaged. _

"Switch!" Kirito yelled. I turned my head the other way as both Kirito and a sentinel staggered back. I saw a crimson streak rush past Kirito with a green-glowing rapier. It was Asuna, who engaged at the sentinel extremely fast, finishing it off with a 6 hit combo in a mere second.

_Kirito has experience, but from what I know, Asuna is new to this game. Even if it is a rapier, it's just too fast for a newbie, even for an experienced player. _

"Blake-kun, switch!" Sachi's call made me break out of my trance, immediately engaging at the sentinel she had knocked back.

After a few minutes of back and forth, we had finished off all the waves of Sentinels. Kibaou's group, Group E, didn't even have to engage, and Group F only had the chance to engage one sentinel.

"Kirito, Asuna, great job." I complimented them as they finished off the last Sentinel. They both nodded. I turned my attention to Illfang as his health dropped to the last bar. I threw away its bone axe and shield, reaching behind him.

"Everybody, stand down! I'll finish him off!" Diavel yelled as he rushed for Illfang with a sword skill prepped.

_This isn't the original plan. _I thought to myself, as realization instantly crossed my mind. _He's going for the final hit bonus. He must be a former beta-tester! _Suddenly, as Diavel jumped in the air to strike, Illfang drew a different weapon and likewise lunged at Diavel. _That's not a Talwar, that's a nodachi! _I took notice as I rushed towards the two.

"Wait!" Kirito yelled, noticing likewise and following behind me. Illfang easily knocked Diavel back and struck him with a sword skill, sending him flying upward. Illfang followed up with spinning attack that knocked Diavel downward. As Illfang jumped at the fallen player, I rushed in between to intercept. Using the strength of my two-handed sword, I jumped at Illfang using **Slant** to parry his attack, knocking him back in mid-air.

"Kirito!" I called, hoping he was ready.

"Got it!" He responded as he rushed past me and jumped using **Sonic Leap **to knock Illfang into the ground.

Everyone rushed towards Diavel, but it was too late, as he burst into fragmented pixels.

"Let's finish this sucker off." I aimed my blade at Illfang.

"Yea. Watch out for that nodachi. It's pretty dangerous" Kirito answered.

"Dully noted." We both charged at him, dodging and slashing in synchrony instead of using Switch tactics. I knocked away Illfang's attack as Kirito dashed forward stabbing him. I followed up with an uppercut swing to Illfang's face, making him stagger. He used a spin attack as he recovered, knocking us both back. He rushed forward aiming for Sachi.

"Blake-kun!" She cried out as she raised her shield, being knocked back by a devastating blow

"Sachi!" I rushed to her side, intercepting Illfang's next attack. Kirito and Asuna proceeded to engage Illfang, in a perfectly synchronized Switch system. I directed my attention to a fallen Sachi. "Sachi! Are you ok?"

She nodded slightly, nearly unconscious. "It's my fault for not being careful. If you hadn't helped me level up so much, I probably would've died." Her HP was a few points away from being depleted, so I gave her a health potion and didn't leave her side, deciding that I should leave Illfang to the others. I looked back in time to see Asuna knock Illfang with a quick swipe of stabs, as Kirito followed up with and impressive sword skill that tore through Illfang's body, depleting the remaining HP. As Illfang burst, the 'CONGRATULATIONS!' message appeared. Everyone started cheering, swiftly silenced by Kibaou.

"WHY ARE YOU CHEERING!" we all turned our attention to him. "Diavel died. Illfang didn't have a Talwar, he had another weapon. The beta-tester who told us of this was wrong. And he knew!" He pointed an incriminating finger at Kirito. "You're probably a beta-tester. If you had told us about that sword it used, Diavel wouldn't have died. This is your fault!" As everyone grew silent, I tensed, ready to respond, when the still fallen Sachi grabbed my arm.

"You've done enough." She whispered with a smile. I sighed and I decided to stay by her side. All of a sudden, a near maniacal laughter broke the silence. I stared at its source. It was Kirito.

"Beta-tester? Don't compare me to those newbs. Yea, I was in the beta test, but you should really think twice if you wanna put me in the same group as them. Most beta-testers didn't know how to play when they released the beta. Hmph, you guys are probably better than them. But me, no, I'm way better than them. During the short time of the beta-test, I cleared levels higher than anyone could even imagine." Everyone was shocked at this statement.

"Blake-kun, what is he-" Sachi started to say before I put a finger on her lips.

"He's up to something."

Kibaou grunted at him. "Y-you're worse than a beta-tester. A cheater and a beta-tester… You're a Beater!"

Kirito smiled evilly at his comment. "Beater, huh. Sounds good." He said as he equipped the Final Hit bonus: Coat of midnight. "Just remember to not ever compare me to those 'beta-testers'." He finished as he started to make his way out. As he came next to me, all I did was look him in the eye and nod. He nodded slightly in return.

_He's diverting all the hate for the beta-testers towards him._ "Well, I guess we should get going." I told Sachi as Kirito left. It was necessary for me to lift her up and carry her home, as she felt extremely tired.

"Ok Blake-kun. Sorry for being a burden." She answered as I carried her.

"Naaah, its ok. You're light as a feather anyways." _Even though it wasn't without incident and still a far way off from the end, we finally cleared the 1__st__ level. _

"Blake-kun, do you really think that you can beat the higher floor bosses?" Sachi asked, looking at me with scared eyes.

"Hey, don't worry about it. It's gonna be a piece of cake. They're no match for me. So just watch, I'm gonna get stronger and make sure to protect you next time." She seemed eased by my response and fell asleep in my arms. _I won't ever forgive myself if I don't._


	7. The Party Grows Stronger

_**For the first time, I felt happy. Sure, Death was around the corner, and one slip-up could be the last. But here I have the chance to get strong enough not only to survive, but to win.**_

* * *

"Blake-kun, switch!"

"Yea!" I ran forward, diving to slide on my feet as the **Werewolf** flailed a claw at me. I cut through its leg as I slid past, temporarily limiting its movement as it howled. "Here they come!"

"We got it!" Kirito yelled, dashing forward with Asuna as smaller werewolves, **Lobos**, spawned around the Werewolf. With their speed and synchronization, they were and ideal pair for overwhelming an enemy and taking care of multiple targets. "Focus on the boss!"

"No prob. Let's go Sachi!" I said as I focused my attention on the Werewolf.

"Ok, Blake-kun." She took a defensive position next to me. She already knew the drill. I put myself slightly in front of her. The Werewolf's leg had healed, and it charged toward us again. I waited till it was a meter close and I took a step forward before pivoting to the left avoiding its claw. I used the momentum to bash the back of his head with the sword hilt as its lunge continued in Sachi's direction. It was dazed by my strike, and at this Sachi took advantage to use **Shield Bash** right at its face, while I charged up a spell.

"_Subito Incendio: Level II! (Instant Blaze: Level 2)" _I aimed my left hand as well as my killer intent at the Werewolf's back, as it suddenly burst into a heap of flames that I could feel intensely even at a 2 meter distance. It drained the Werewolf's quickly, only giving it a chance to howl with all its might before it burst amidst the flames. Kirito and Asuna had barely finished with the Lobos when the Werewolf died. "Alriiiight! Quest complete!" I celebrated. We were on the fifth floor, completing a quest in the **Dark Forest**. The quest info consisted of a mysterious beast that lurked in the shadows of the forest, which was close to the main road between towns in the 5th floor. It was held responsible for many player disappearances at night on the road. Leveling up got a bit harder, but at this point it was starting to turn into a combination of Lvl and gaming skill to complete levels. I was at level 27, Sachi 20, Kirito 25 and Asuna 24. We were a pretty good group, and with some spells handy, we were able to take the Floor 3 boss by ourselves. It was quite the memorable moment,

* * *

"Ok, guys, seems like the dungeon is clear and were done mapping. All that's left is to find the boss room." Kirito commented as he finished off a **Bone Soldier.**

"Seems like it." I stretched with the comment. "Geez, I've been feeling stiff lately."

"How about I give you a nice massage when we get home, Blake-kun?" Sachi suggested with a smiling face.

"T-that won't be necessary…" I shook my arms, slightly blushing while I imagined the scene.

"Now now, Blake-kun, no need to be shy. It'll just be you and me." She said with a seemingly innocent tone.

"That's not very reassuring."

Kirito sighed. "Sometimes I wonder about you too."

Asuna giggled slightly at the situation "You two make an adorable couple."

"You really think so?" Sachi asked with a bit of light in her eyes.

"O-oi! Don't just put it bluntly like that." I was starting to feel really awkward. As she laughed, we suddenly heard a rumble coming from the boss room. I checked the map, seeing a small friend icon in the gray empty area which was probably the boss room. _That's… _I immediately dashed towards the room, bashing through the doors. "Argo! Get out of there!" She immediately turned towards me as I yelled, distracting her enough for to be knocked away in the air by a giant club, flying several meters. "ARGO!" I rushed forward, catching her before she fell. I quickly used a healing crystal on her as her HP was a mere 5 points away from being gone. "Jesus freakin Christ, what were you thinking?"

She smiled weakly at me. "I-I was trying… to get info on the boss… that's my job, isn't it?"

"Tsch, but don't do reckless things like that, you baka." I was slightly relieved that she was fine. I turned my attention to the boss. It was a **Cyclops, **at least 5 meters tall. "Hey you, the one with the ugly eye!" I yelled at it, taking my battle stance. "You almost killed my friend. I'll never forgive you!" It let out a horrible deep scream as I taunted it. Asuna, Kirito and Sachi all looked my way and nodded at me, knowing I wouldn't back down. "Asuna, Kirito, take the lead."

"Right!" They said in unison as they rushed towards the Cyclops.

"Follow my lead Sachi." I ordered her. "Just sit still Argo. We'll take care of this in a flash."

"B-but Blake," she argued, too weak to get up. "It's too dangerous."

"Well, you should've considered that before coming down here by yourself, baka." I stuck my tongue out at her, before getting serious and directing my attention at the Cyclops, who was being dealt by Kirito and Asuna. It was getting more aggressive as the Asuna-Kirito duet gracefully overpowered their enemy, depleting 1 bar out of 5 in a minute. Kirito slashed at the leg, then striking against the Cyclops'swooden club with his own sword as Asuna rushed forward, jumping on Kirito's shoulders and multiply stabbing the monster's eye with a green-glowing sword. The Cyclopsstumbled backwards at this, clutching at its eye. "Let's go Sachi!" I rushed forward as she followed at my side.

"Ok Blake-kun!" Sachi attacked first striking twice at the boss. I used **Heavy Strike** on the Cyclops's knee, making it tumble and fall. It slammed the ground with its club in rage, making all of us stagger.

_I gotta finish this before… _I stopped to look at Sachi, having a deep worry for her. Being at one bar and a half left, it was clearly upset, and it seemed like it was going to be very aggressive. "Asuna, Kirito, buy me some time."

"Got it. Let's go Asuna!" Kirito ran forward, striking at the Cyclops's club as it attacked him, knocking him back a bit. Asuna followed up with a some quick stabs his stomach, while I got ready to finish him off.

"_O Deus et fulgura, et percute me adversarius _(oh, God of lightning, strike down my adversary)," I chanted as I ran towards the Cyclops, "_et imple ensis tua potestate! _(and fill my blade with your power!)" I leapt forward as my blade flowed with electric power "_Fulgura Icircumflex! _(Lightning slash!)" I drove my blade down unto the Cyclops's head, as steel and thunder tore through him, slicing him in half as he burst into pixels. The **Congratulations** message appeared, a great relief as my HP was 1 point away from being nonexistent. _Well, I definetly know I can't spam that one._

"Waah, Blake-kun!" Sachi exclaimed worried, probably at my health as she ran towards me with a healing crystal.

"Hey hey, don't go wasting that." I grabbed her hand to stop her. "I'm fine, and I'll start regenerating, so save it for later."

She started to tear up at my remark and leaned her head against my chest while she softly cried. "Don't take risks like that. I don't know what I would do if you died..."

I smiled at her comment and patted her head. "Hey hey, I'm not going anywhere, I still have to beat the game, remember? So don't you worry about it." She nodded while still sobbing.

"Well done, Master Blake." Argo jested as she clapped.

"What do you mean, 'Well done'? Baka!" I smacked her head with my fist.

"Hey, what was that for?" She responded, rubbing her head.

_You can't even feel pain in this game... _"For doing something dangerous and stupid as coming here all by yourself. You could have died!" I scorned.

"Haha, but I didn't. How about we go celebrate for having beat the boss?" She turned her attention to the others, pissing me off as I punched her head again. "Ow, stop that!"

"IT DOESN'T EVEN HURT!"

* * *

I came to as the memories finished flashing back, checking my inventory to see what the final hit reward for the Werewolf was. _Shade of Darkness__? _I read as I equipped it. A night-black coat with a hoodie appeared ontop of my light clothes. Its stats were a bit above average for a Floor 5. It seemed like it matched the user's level, upgrading as I gain experience. But what was interesting was that it came with a skill called **Nocturnal ****Mirage**. _Wonder what this is. It doesn't say how to use it._

"You look so cool in that Blake-kun!" Sachi exclaimed in admiration. I looked at myself, noticing it did look pretty badass.

"Yea, it is pretty cool." I smiled with a light pose. _Lets try on the hood_. I put the hood on, and I noticed the skill icon for **Nocturnal Mirage **suddenly started to go into cooldown. The skill seemed to last 30 seconds, and the cooldown 2 minutes. _But what does it do?__  
_

"Waaah! Blake-kun, where did you go?!" I heard Sachi exclaim. I was standing right in front of her. She just stared at where I was, just seemingly staring through me. I waved a hand in front of her face.

"Hey, I'm right here Sachi. Are you lagging or something?" I looked around to Asuna and Kirito. They also seemed to have concerned looks on their faces as they gazed around them. _What, can't they see me? As soon as I put the hood..._ I instantly realized what was going on and I took off the hood. Everyone jumped a bit in surprise and Sachi tackle-hugged me, knocking me to the ground. "GUWAA!"

"Blaake-kun, don't scare me like that!" She pouted slightly as I tried to get her off me.

"Oi, oi, I'm here, so you can let go now." I got up with Sachi clinging to me as if I'd disappear any moment.

"Was it the cloak?" Kirito asked, catching on quickly. I nodded.

"Shade of Darkness, a cloak rumoured to have belonged to the greatest assasin of the Dark Ages, who could vanish from site and escaped from several executions, murdering all in the process. It seems like Kayaba took the idea and granted the item cloaking. **Nocturnal Mirage**, an ability that makes you virtually undetectable for 30 seconds. Its activated by simply putting the cloak on. Simple, yet genius." I looked at the sky. _You really do suprise me, Kayaba. _A message from Argo broke my train of thought. I closed it after I read it, directing my attention to the party. "It seems like something interesting has shown up.

* * *

"So, Argo, what are we here for?" I stretched a bit as we stood outside what looked like very much like The Roman Coliseum.

"Kukuku, I have found something that might be of your interest." She paused and pointed at the structure. "Welcome to the Battle Arena!"


	8. The Battle Arena tournament-Prelude

_**This is for the strong. The weak won't survive here. That's why I gotta grow stronger. To fight for myself, and… "To fight for the weak!"**_

"Battle Arena…" I scratched my head at her vague explanation. "… Wait, you mean-"

"Yep" Argo interrupted. "Here you fight NPC's to gain money and experience, who prove to be more difficult with each level. You bet the pre-determined amount and get back double if you win. If you're losing, you can yield, conserving your life, but lose your money."

"I have finally found-" I stared at the Coliseum with a light sparkle in my eyes. "-my sanctuary."

"You gotta be kidding me." Kirito and Asuna said in unison as they stared at me.

"Don't you see the greatness that stands before us!" I responded. "The great Roman Coliseum, the place where the strongest gladiators would battle with all their might to the death!" My eyes sparkled again. "This is truly a place where only the strongest would gather." Sachi giggled while Asuna and Kirito continued to stare in disbelief.

"Ahem." Argo cleared her throat, bringing me out of my trance. "Now then, I take it that Blake will be participating in this tournament. Anyone else want to give it a shot?" Sachi shook her head innocently and Asuna just looked away. Before Kirito could refuse, I gave him a quick elbow to the gut, making his hand jerk up.

"Alriiight, Kirito, lets do this!" I started pushing him towards the Arena.

"Wait, what. I didn't agree to any-"

"Hey, now, wouldn't want to disappoint the girls now, would we?" I interrupted as Sachi cheered and Asuna just giggled. We were at the entrance before he could continue protesting.

"Now then," Argo started, "for PVP battles, it'll be in One hit Mode, but against NPCs, its a battle to the death. Got it?"

"Right on!" I agreed enthusiastically "Hey, Kirito, what's up with that gloomy face?"

* * *

**"ALRIGHT, EVERYBODY, WELCOME TO THE BATTLE ARENA! THE ONLY PLACE IN ALL OF AINCRAD TO HOST DEATHBATTLES AS AWESOME AS THESE!"** We heard from the commentator while we were in the participant waiting area.

"Kuh, I can't believe the crowd are as enthusiastic as him about this." Kirito grumbled as I got ready for my first match against an NPC. The tournament was mixed, with Player vs. NPC Deathbattles, and Player vs. Player One-Hit duels. Today was different from what Argo explained. You would win a set amount from each match, and you only required to pay the admission fee.

"It is quite the event." I responded, stretching in anticipation. _Still, since its a tourney, the enemies will probably be stronger. _I grinned widely. _Not that its a problem._ "Well, I'm up." I drew my sword as the match was starting. _  
_

"Good luck. Try not to die out there." He said as I made my way, scoffing at his remark, towards the classic gladiator gate. I walked out as it opened up, being greeted by dozens of cheers.

**"AND HERE WE HAVE OUR FIRST CONTESTANT. THE SILENT SWORDSMAN, BLAKE!" **At this the crowd went wild, probably due to Argo and her rumor making. I was able to make out a distinctive cheering right behind me.

"Yaaay Blake-kun! Go and show them who's the best!" The Sachi that was standing and screaming amongst the crowd was very different from the Sachi I met more than a month ago. I wonder why she wasn't shy at all when it came to me. My relaxed attitude broke down into a nervous fluster as she 'innocently' blew a kiss my way. _W-W-W-W-WHAT IS SHE DOING?!_

**"OH, AND WHATS THIS? A SPECIAL FAN AMONGST THE CROWD SEEMS TO BE QUITE CLOSE TO THE SILENT SWORDSMAN."** At this, I felt the glare of jealousy come from the whole Arena. _Ahahaha... If looks could kill... _I thought to myself as I turned around, noticing my opponent at the other side of the Arena. A typical roman gladiator, burly, dressed in very light armor, with a round shield and a small sword around his waist. From the looks of it, he was an NPC, although he seemed to be a crowd favorite. **"NOW EVERYBODY GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO OUR ARENA'S FAVORITE, SPARTAACUUUUUUS!"** I drew back a bit in shock. _So in the first round I'm up against THE Spartacus. The most fearsome gladiator in roman history? _I chuckled under my breath and drew my blade. _Now this is getting INTERESTING!_

* * *

**_Hey there everybody, Codename here. First of all, my most sincerest apologies for the lack of publishing. I´ve been real busy the last 2 months, and I´ve been dying for a chance to keep the story going. I´m sure to start posting again soon, though. Thanks to all you awesome readers for understanding  
_**


End file.
